Kung Fu Panda delivers blow to Tigers

By Mark Purdy San Jose Mercury News

Posted:
10/25/2012 10:59:23 AM MDT

SAN FRANCISCO --Whatever happens the rest of this World Series, nobody at AT&T Park will forget what they witnessed Wednesday. It wasn't just a World Series Game 1 victory by the Giants. It was an educational and enthralling Animal Planet documentary, happening in real time.

The documentary subject: On certain October evenings, Pandas can completely frighten and confuse Tigers - as well as pound the holy snot out of baseballs against them.

"Man, I still can't believe it," said Pablo Sandoval, the Panda in question.

Here is how Sandoval's first three at-bats went Wednesday:

First inning: Home run to center field.

Third inning: Home run to left field.

Fifth inning: Home run to center field.

The three home runs, added together, traveled a distance of 1,235 feet, or nearly a quarter of a mile. They drove in four of the Giants' runs in an 8-3 runaway victory.

They brought the assembled 42,855 multitude to its collective feet, in shock and awe and noisy approval. Sandoval could barely believe he was seeing it himself.

"When you're a little kid, you dream of being in the World Series," he said. "But I was thinking of being in this situation, three homers in one game . . . . You have to keep focused, keep focused and playing your game. You don't have to be too excited."

You don't?

Loyal followers of the Giants know the tale of Sandoval, the lovable and occasionally troubled third baseman of the Giants.

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He was nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda" two years ago by teammate Barry Zito because of Sandoval's bouncy exuberance. Fittingly, Zito started and won Wednesday's game before offering a quick analysis of Sandoval's performance.

"Incredible," Zito said. "He had a career day today. He'll probably think the rest of his life about this . . . When he hit his third, man, we were just going nuts in the dugout. We didn't know at that point if it even had ever been done; and we're just like, oh, my gosh."

As it turns out, only four players have ever hit three homers in a World Series game. The others are Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols. Two of the three are Hall of Famers and the third will be. Giants manager Bruce Bochy has not nominated Sandoval for Cooperstown yet, though representatives from the Hall of Fame did claim the Panda's bat after the game.

"He's been locked in for a while," said Bochy of Sandoval. "And the home runs, really, where he hit them, too, it's not easy to hit them where he hit them."

It's also not easy, supposedly, to hit them off the Tigers' starting pitcher, Justin Verlander, widely acknowledged as the best pitcher in the American League if not all of baseball. Verlander threw Sandoval's first two home run pitches, with the third belonging to reliever Al Alburquerque.

The Detroit manager, Jim Leyland, was nothing but impressed.

"Sandoval hit one down, he hit a couple up," said Leyland. "He just had one of those nights where anything we threw, he hit. You can't sit here and say what he did tonight was a fluke. I mean, it was unbelievable. The guy had one of those unbelievable nights where anything we threw, he hit."

The most impressive of Sandoval's three home runs was the blow to left field, the opposite field for the lefthanded-batting Sandoval. The two to center field (471 feet and 421 feet) were just bombs.

No one has ever hit four home runs in a World Series game and in his fourth at-bat of the night, with the ballpark on its feet in anticipation, Sandoval knocked a hard single to left field. The only disappointed noises were ironic ones uttered in jest.

Those noises, of course, came from a crowd that has observed Sandoval's ups and downs as a Giant. He has a notorious weight problem that is discussed endlessly on talk radio. And earlier this year, Sandoval was questioned about an incident in Aptos when a woman made sexual assault allegations. Law enforcement officials investigated but said there was insufficient evidence to file charges.

At least on the surface, Sandoval has shown no signs of being affected by any of it. After the game, as the Giants went through their traditional handshake line, Bochy kept a straight face as he congratulated each player who walked past. But when it came Sandoval's turn, the Giants' manager couldn't help himself. He broke out in a big smile.

It was a big change from Sandoval's experience in the 2010 World Series. Back then, he was exiled in the Bochy's doghouse. The problem was Sandoval's perceived lack of discipline, both as a hitter and as an eater. He kept the Panda glued to the bench in favor of Juan Uribe at third base.

The record shows that during that 2010 World Series, Sandoval played in just one game and made only three plate appearances. He struck out, grounded into a double play and lined out to center field.

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